If you drive a car and have a phone, you've probably got a car charger somewhere - they're very useful for a top-up of juice or if you use the phone for navigation or music while driving. Presumably, Google's realised the same thing, as it's added a Belkin car charger to the store.

The charger, which was announced a few months ago, is 27W - this means it can charge up to 70% faster. Like the charger that comes in the 6P or 5X box, it supports USB Power Delivery. It can also charge laptops or tablets, such as the Chromebook Pixel or the Pixel C, faster than lower wattage chargers can. All sounds good, right? Here's the catch: it costs $44.99. Yeah. It's a lot, especially for a car charger. Weirdly, even though Belkin's RRP is $44.99, Verizon is selling it at $39.99.

There's a 15W car charger on the Store, also from Belkin, but at the moment it's listed as 'out of stock.' This also only comes with a USB C-A cable, while the 27W charger has a USB-C to C cable.

The charger is available on the Google Store now for $44.99, but if you want to pay $5 less you can get it from Verizon with free shipping. Just don't tell Belkin.

Okay, but that's why yours is 1/3 the price; it doesn't have the same functionality. So what exactly is your point again?

T4rd

The point is that 99% of the audience here is only looking for a car charger for their phone, which the charger in this article provides no additional functionality for over the one I linked to, therefore making it a waste of money if you only need a phone charger.

demarcmj

Certainly a valid point, but you didn't say any of that in your first post. Your post made it seem as though the product you were linking to was equivalent (and even better in some ways), which isn't really the case. That is why catalysto jumped all over it.

Had you said something similar to what you just said, that would have been a much better comment.

T4rd

Well it is better in some ways; it has an extra QC port for another device to charge off of it in the car, which is one of the reasons I got it so the wife and I can use the charger at the same time in the car and it will charge both of our phones at their maximum rate. This Belkin charger doesn't have that extra port or the hardwired cable that I prefer so the cable doesn't come loose or get lost somehow.

I understand he had to point out the sole advantage this Belkin charger has over it though, I agree that I should have clarified that.

catalysto

You're making a lot of assumptions.

demarcmj

I don't think it's "a lot" of assumptions... just one really. And it's probably an accurate one. I think if Phil had presented the product a little differently some of this could have been avoided. He mentioned tablets and laptops almost as an afterthought when they are really the only reason anyone would need this product.

catalysto

The headline should have been clearer, yes. But it still doesn't make sense to compare your 1/3 price charger to this one. It's not the same thing. At the very least, you should have also been clearer in your original comment that you were linking something without USB PD.

You must feel like such an idiot now that the Pixels are out and use USB-PD.

T4rd

You must feel like such an idiot now that you're replying to a 3-month old comment in a fit of nerd rage only to realize that the Pixel phones support USB-PB about as much as last year's Nexus phones since they're still effectively capped at 15/18 Watts (Pixel/Pixel XL respectively) and will charge rapidly with the same 15W chargers as the 6P/5X do.

The 6P and 5X do NOT have a Power Delivery capable Charger. They only support 5V*3A=15W which does need a special protocol since it is standard for C plugs.
Power Delivery is for Higher Voltages(as this Belkin Charger provides) but is compatible wiht devides like the 6P/5X. The Pixel C supports it (although its standard charger does not)

Good_Ole_Pinocchio

So you're saying this WON'T charge the 6p/5x faster than normal?

andy_o

It will, USB-PD also charges standard USB-C devices like the N6P and N5X at 3A.

demarcmj

He said "faster." The charger included in the box with the 5X and 6P can do 3A. So, no, this won't charge these phones any faster.

Murcky

As with everything, you get what you pay for. There are many non compliant chargers on sale right now. If you have a premium device, it makes sense to pay the extra to ensure you are not damaging it with a cheap charger or cable. This one got the nod of approval from Benson Leung, so I think is it worthy of consideration.

worldclassflame

Give this man a cookie !

T4rd

It seems you're paying for USB power delivery here, which is useless on a phone that can only use 15W of it. Benson disapproves all QC phones/chargers too, so safe chargers aren't mutually exclusive to Benson's approval. I think if you see a charger that has sold thousands of units with no reported issues, is made by a reputable company, and has a warranty to back it up, the risk is negligible.

NexusKoolaid

LOL "you get what you pay for". In this case you're paying for more then what you're getting. A brief bit of searching on Amazon turned up several Benson Leung approved chargers that cost less than this product. Resist the urge to fall back on the "you get what you pay for" mindset, which is often a refuge for the lazy. Do a little research and save some cash.

catalysto

Do the cheaper chargers you found have USB PD?

AussieB

Please post the approved cheaper car chargers for the Nexus6p - i need one

Kaiser_Salad

This charger is Benson-approved and is much cheaper than the Belkin one. (his review is listed)

I guess you've never heard of cost-to-value ratios or "best bang for your buck". Why should we buy $100 HDMI cables from Monster Cables when the $5 two pack from Amazon does the same, proven thing?

JohnW

Slightly off-topic...

While using Android Auto, my 6P is "Charging slowly"...basically meaning it's not gaining any charge at all. Are any of you using a USB-C cable with Android Auto that allows for regular charging speeds?

Aaron

Is your AA head unit factory or aftermarket? Whichever the case, is the USB port USB 2.0 or 3.0? If it's 2.0 then it might not be capable of charging at a better rate.

JohnW

It's built into the Hyundai. The USB port is almost definitely 2.0 because of course.

Aaron

Yeah. They probably didn't even consider the power needs of the connected device when they installed the head unit. That thing is probably pushing out 500mAh max.

jcopernicus

I found out why it cost's $45. You can't get this kind of detail just anywhere.

People are like should not use other charge and other crazy stuff. Wanna know. I use a Xiaomi Charger with OnePlus One they work fine but never tested Aukey Chargers. They are very reputated so will get one with the smartphone upgrade

Good_Ole_Pinocchio

What I'm saying is the brand doesn't really matter, as long as the spec matches your phone.

galeos

Speaking for the 5X and 6P, they're compatible with any USB charger as long as the charger is to it's own USB spec (and you use the appropriate in-spec cable). It doesn't need to match the phone. USB-A or USB-C -- 15 Watt or 7.5 Watt -- all good.

Marty

There is an Aukey car charger on the certified list. You might want to check it and see if it's the same one.

Marty

I bought two Vinsic car chargers for 12 each. They're on the Benson Leung certified list. This Belkin isn't.

Marko Šaric

Same here. I bought mine for the same reason . Also, much cheaper. And it lights up!

Good_Ole_Pinocchio

only problem with that is that it triggers the TPMS in the car. Light always comes on.

Marty

Hmmm...not seeing that in mine.

ufmace

Now I just want somebody to make a C cable with a 90 degree connector, so the charging phone can be connected while the phone stands up on its bottom without trying to bend a cable right at the connector. Doesn't anybody else do this in their car?

matteventu

I need it as well!

But not in the car, actually when I'm in bed laying down with the phone on charge and using it :P

Guys, it's expensive cause it's a proper USB-PD charger. It's 27W on one port and supports different voltages as per USB-PD.

Defenestratus

And at its core, its still just a damn car charger.

andy_o

Are you implying that a USB-PD wall charger also doesn't warrant a higher price than a cheapo weak wattage wall charger because "it's still just a damn wall charger"?

gqukyo

Not at that price... lol

demarcmj

This. For people who maybe doesn't spend a lot of time in their car, it may be important to get as much juice as possible in a short period of time. If you own a tablet that supports the higher-voltage charging, it might be worth paying a little more to get faster charging.

Wait, faster than the 15w or faster than a 5w? because I thought 15W was the max our phones would take in and I thought the factory charger was 15W.

demarcmj

That is correct. 5V/3A (15W) is as fast as the 5X/6P can handle. This charger is designed for tablets that can make use of the higher voltages. It will charge the 5X/6P just fine, but no faster than all these cheaper 5V/3A chargers people are linking-to.

Defenestratus

Google apparently thinks that we can all afford idiotic SF Bay area prices.

What morons. Between this, the Pixel phones, and Allo its getting really difficult to remain a fan of Google's direction these days.

demarcmj

They're charging the same price as Belkin.

likurges

google is becoming apple.. little to no innovation and a premium (not worth) price tag. It's just a shame that you can't go anywhere because windows phone is practicly non existent and legend says once existed a thing called blackberry .. well not anymore

demarcmj

Overreacting much? They're reselling a 3-rd party accessory at the same price that the manufacturer sells it for. If you find a better deal somewhere else, go buy it.

JLV90

Now I can believe the $649 Pixel price

Amir

Belkin: Garbage at a premium price!

demarcmj

I don't see why this is garbage. If anything I'd say it's a premium product at a potentially-unreasonable price (I say "potentially" because I have yet to see anyone post a link to a comparable product at a better price).

Regardless, you get an up-vote for at least blaming Belkin and not Google for some reason.

Cai

I never had a problem with Belkin or Tragus products. I just think what Google is charging for is garbage. I could get this at Target or off Amazon for way cheaper!

demarcmj

Link?

Not saying such a thing doesn't exist, but nobody has linked to any 9V/3A car charger from a reputable brand yet to establish what the price *should* be.

AussieB

Google is starting to think its Apple

Wayne

Verizon has it on sale, 25% off @ 29.99. That seems like a more reasonable price.